Semifinal baseball playoff battles on-deck

Waldo County hosts Rockport, Swan Lake Grocery hosts Rockland Café

By Staff | Jul 10, 2014

Photo by: Mark HaskellAs Rockland Café's Anthony Moore runs in the background from second to third base, Union Farm Equipment's Riley McCollett fields the ball near the mound during a July 8 Midcoast Babe Ruth League baseball playoff game in Thomaston. Rockland Café won 11-4.

No. 2 Swan Lake Grocery and No. 3 Rockland Café also pulled away late to earn victories in a pair of quarterfinal contests on Tuesday, July 8, and, in turn, will face one another in a semifinal game on Monday, July 14 at 5 p.m. at Belfast Area High School.

At Searsport July 9, Waldo County proved why it is the top seed in the playoffs as it prevailed via the mercy rule over Camden. Waldo County wasted little time as it plated eight runs in the first inning, added two more in the third and one in the fifth. Camden's lone run came in the first.

Owen Hilt and Jacson Mooers pitched for Camden, allowing 14 hits and four walks, with four strikeouts. Danna went the distance on the hill for Waldo County, allowing three hits and no walks, with six strikeouts.

No. 2 Swan Lake Grocery 10, No. 7 Damariscotta Lions 4

At Belfast July 8, Swan Lake Grocery pulled away from the lower seed with a six-run sixth inning and surged into the semifinals. Swan Lake Grocery scored one run in the first, second, fourth and fifth innings, along with its six-run sixth, while Damariscotta Lions scored one run in the first, third, sixth and seventh stanzas.

Skylar Perkins, Grey Dinsmore and Zach Dyer pitched for Swan Lake Grocery, allowing a combined five hits and striking out a combined nine batters. Chad Carter and Cody Tozier combined to allow nine hits, while striking out five for the visitors.

At Thomaston July 8, UFE jumped on the higher seed early with a four-run first inning, but Rockland Café plated 11 unanswered runs and saw starting pitcher Logan Sheridan retire 18 of the final 19 batters he faced as the hosts moved onto the semifinals.

Rockland Café scored four runs in the third inning to tie the game, took the lead with a run in the fourth and then plated six runs in the fifth inning.

Sheridan allowed four runs (2 earned) on four hits and one walk without fanning a batter. The last 15 outs of the game were on ground balls, including a third base-to-second base-to first base (5-4-3) double play to end the game.

Riley McCollett went the first four frames on the hill for UFE, while Adam Wilcox, Patrick Madden and Nathan Emerson saw time in relief. The four hurlers combined to allow six hits and eight walks, with eight strikeouts, with seven of the eight strikeouts credited to McCollett.